About John Evans

Immigration:

"...Departure Port of Liverpoole, England with a destination of New Orleans, Louisianna. Most passangers show destination of Utah, USA.; 13 Passangers with cabins. Total passangers including steerage of 320 with 296 adults and 24 children under the age of 8.; 1853 ship 'Elvira Owen'; 'Elvira Owen' Information: U.S. / 874 tons; Depart Liverpool: 15 Feb 1853; Arrive New Orleans: 31 Mar 1853; Company Leader: J. W.Young; 345 LDS passengers; "Under the direction of Joseph W. Young, who had presided over the Preston Conference, a company of 345 Saints sailed from Liverpool on 15 Feb 1853, on board the ship 'Elvira Owen'.; On 23 Mar 1853, after a most speedy voyage lasting only 36 days, the 'Elvira Owen arrived at the bar at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Three births, three marriages and three deaths occurred during the voyage. There were a few cases of small-pox, which, however, did not prove fatal, and the disease did not spread to any great extent.; "Captain Owen treated the Saints with much kindness, especially the sick, and a memorial, expressive of their gratitude far his fatherly conduct to all, was presented to him by the passengers.; "After being detained at the bar several days, the 'Elvira Owen' was towed up the river, and the emigrants landed in New Orleans on 31 Mar, 1853. Proceeding up the Mississippi River, the emigrants arrived at Keokuk, Iowa, on 13 Apr 1853, being two days short of two months from Liverpool, which was considered an extraordinarily rapid journey..."

History:

"...EVANS, JOHN (son of John and Elizabeth Evans of Liverpool, Eng.). Born April 2, 1807 at Liverpool. Came to Utah 1855. Married Ann Dinwoodey at Liverpool. Eng. She was born 1806. Came to Utah 1855. Their children: Elizabeth b. May, 1832, m. Jacob Hayball; John b. Oct. 7, 1834, m. Mary Ellison. Family home Salt Lake City. Tailor..."

Mormon Pioneer:

"...Company: Moses Thurston Company (1855)

Moses Thurston and many of the emigrants who would be part of his overland emigrant train left Liverpool, England, April 22, 1855, aboard the ship S. Curling (often called the Samuel Curling in Church records). Thurston was returning to Utah after serving a mission in England; the emigrants were Mormon converts. After an exceptionally rough voyage of 30 days, the ship docked at New York. Next, the travelers went by rail to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and from there by steamboat down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to St. Louis. Elder Thurston and about 100 passengers arrived in St. Louis on June 9 aboard the steamboat Gibson. From St. Louis they steamed up the Missouri River to Atchison, Kansas Territory--the Mormon outfitting point for plains travel that year. One of the emigrants described the country surrounding Atchison as wild and timbered.

Organized at Mormon Grove (just outside Atchison), Thurston's was an independent company, but it included many Perpetual Emigration Fund passengers. At least one of the English families, however, was wealthy enough to pay for the outfit of another family. A few of the emigrants who accompanied Thurston were from Ohio. The train started for Utah on July 4; it consisted of 148 individuals, 33 ox-drawn wagons, 234 oxen, 28 cows, and 12 horses. Because of Indian hostilities along the trail, this train traveled part of the way to Utah with the Richard Ballantyne company.

Along the trail, one female traveler reportedly put some of her milk and cream "in a tightly covered wooden churn and fastened [it] firmly inside the wagon; the butter was already churned when [the company] reached the evening camp." This same woman lovingly nurtured her yeast culture so that her family could have leavened bread, which she baked in "rock ovens built by previous pioneers." On August 24 the Thurston train was at the Upper Ford of the Platte, some 15 miles ahead of Ballantyne's company. All was well with the emigrants. They had lost no cattle or horses, and no one had died. Two young men from the company escorted Elder Erastus Snow and a companion (who were traveling to Utah unescorted) to Warm Springs; then they returned to the train. The company arrived in Salt Lake City on September 28 with the emigrants generally in good health and excellent spirits..."